@phoebusg Sounds good, yea, i cant say im a fan of the light stuff. It’s not so much a false confidence thing, it’s just bad training. I have seen quite a few people go in to a real fight pulling their punches because of it. If you train to stop your fist an inch from the face, chances are you will do the same in a real fight.
I’m quite a fan of the bruce lee methods, lots of punch bags and pads.
@Symbeline If you want to learn for real, just find a teacher. Bad martial arts teachers do exist, some have no idea what they are doing, but most countries have regulations when it comes to karate. I would say to stay away from “self defense lessons” or “self defense for women” and things that go by names like that.
You want to look for someone who teaches at least 50 children and at least 20 adults. When you go to the dojo, keep an eye out for pictures. If the instructor has a photo of his teacher, and a photo of the style’s founder, chances are he is taking it more seriously.
When you go in, ask “how long would it take me to reach black belt”. If they say 1–2 years walk away, the proper answer is 8 to 12 years. Also, keep an eye out for respect, do they bow when they enter the dojo to respect the room? or do they just walk in talking? ... when they finish the lesson, do the students stand back and let the teacher leave the room first? or do they all rush out in any old fashion? things like that.
As luck has it, it is very easy to spot a teacher who is just a thug teaching people how to bash others.